Down Home Baked Beans

I know baked beans are more of a summer dish but baking them in the winter will make your home smell good and warm it up at the same time! Serve it up with some oven baked ribs. http://nrappleye.blogspot.com/2011/09/oven-baked-ribs.html

½ c. catsup

½ c. brown sugar 

1 T. dry mustard

2 tsp. dark molasses

½ c. onions, chopped

2 (15 oz.) can pork and beans

3 slices bacon, chopped

Mix catsup, brown sugar, dry mustard, molasses 
and onions together and set aside.
(Thes beans tend to be more on the sweet side, so if you want it less sweet,
 cut the brown sugar back to 1/4 cup; but they are really good with all the sweetness!) 

Pour one (16 oz.) can of pork and beans in an 8x8 baking dish and spread  evenly on the bottom of the dish. 

  Pour half of the catsup mixture over beans.  

Now layer with the other (16 oz.) can of pork and beans then pour the rest of the catsup mixture on top of beans.  

Sprinkle with chopped bacon.  I used Oscar Meyer®

 turkey bacon but you can use your favorite kind of bacon.

Bake uncovered for 1hour to 1hour and 20 minutes at 350 degrees...

or until it is thick and bubbly with a nice dark film across the surface.

These beans are great served with any grilled, 

smoked, or shredded meat Bar-B-Q sandwiches.

Add a baked potato, corn on the cob and cole slaw.  

Any day of the year can be a down home summer picnic day!

© Nancy Rappleye 2012

Apple Sauce

Fresh homemade apple sauce tastes great with pork chops,
 potato pancakes, on top of breakfast pancakes or just alone!  

This is so easy to make and is a good way to use up apples that are too soft to eat as a snack.  

Using all of one kind or several different types of apples makes it interesting and fun to make.  

8 apples, any kind

1/2 c. apple juice or water

1 cinnamon stick

1-2 T. sugar, opt.

Cut apples in half, cut out core and cut off peel.

slice and cut into chunks into a medium size sauce pan.  

No need to be exact! 

 Place on stove top and add a cinnamon stick and apple juice.

 Turn heat to medium high and bring to a boil.

Turn heat down, place a lid on pot and  simmer for 15-20 minutes or until apples are soft and fork tender.

Turn off heat. Remove cinnamon stick and mash apple chunks.  You can mash it smooth or leave some chunks. One of the best things about making it yourself is that you can make it 
the way YOU love it!

 Add sugar and stir.  Replace cinnamon stick,  

Off set lid on sauce pan and let apple sauce cool.

When cool, place apple sauce in an air tight container and store in refrigerator. when ready to serve, you can add a few sprinkles of ground cinnamon to taste.

oh boy!  I think I will make some potato pancakes to go with this or........ maybe I will just eat it!

© Nancy Rappleye 2012

Lime Rice

This is a wonderful rice to go with any pulled sweet pork recipe.  I think this is a fun way to cook rice and reminds me of  how a good friend from Arizona cooks her rice.  Browning it in oil first and then adding the rest of the ingredients and letting it simmer for 20 minutes blends all the wonderful flavors of garlic, cilantro and lime!

2 T. olive oil

2 c. rice

1 c. onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

½ bunch cilantro

4 c. chicken broth

 1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies

Juice from 1 lime

¼ tsp. lime zest

Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium skillet with lid, heat olive oil and add rice and onion. 

Cook until rice is golden, stirring frequently.  

Add garlic and cilantro and cook another minute.  

Stir in chicken broth and rest of ingredients, 

stir

turn down heat to low, place a lid on and cook for 20 minutes.

When the rice is done, stir and fluff up with a spoon, then serve with sweet pork in a salad or burrito....

© Nancy Rappleye 2012